Growing Closer - or What Time Brings
by Sunken Stars
Summary: Weiss wakes up shaking from a nightmare, only to discover that it's a much earlier time than she would prefer to be awake at. Not even thinking of trying to sleep again, Weiss makes her way into the student lounge and finds that she isn't the only one who's up early.


Author's Notes: So this is something I've been sitting on for a while. Months actually, I just couldn't ever find a way to end it. I got to, I think, the third break, and I just kind of... shied away from completing it for a while. But tonight I felt like breaking in my new iPod touch, and for some reason, I decided to look around the files in my google docs folders before creating a new doc, and I saw this thing just sitting there, and I had this little feeling in my gut that told me 'it's time.' I listened to it, and I wrote the rest of it in the span of about two hours.

And then I immediately told myself, you can make this a series with multiple pairings growing closer to one another, going from friends to lovers. To me, there's nothing more beautiful then seeing relationships _bloom_ _,_ seeing people go from friends to lovers, or experiencing it yourself is just absolutely wonderful. It really is one of my favorite things to see happen, and also one of my favorite things to read. I thought to myself, as well, that they could all be connected. Perhaps something that happens in one of the chapters, could be the reason for another pairing growing closer.

Really, I think that's up to whether or not you all like this story, because I admit the payoff is really little for what I set it up to be, and the time jumps seem a bit excessive. But from the start, this was a rather experimental story. Especially seeing as how I've never before written this pairing. I have loved Freezerburn for a long time, I just never got around to doing it. I think that's all I really have to say about this, so, I'll be off with this: I hope you enjoy this story, months in the making!

* * *

There was a sputtering as Weiss choked on her saliva, rising up from underneath the covers violently and out of breath as the last remnants of what was a terrible nightmare ebbed away into the dark pits of her subconscious. She put a shaky hand up to her throat and swallowed, panting and gasping for oxygen as if she had never breathed an ounce of it in her entire lifetime. She spared a small glance towards the alarm clock on the bedside table. "Five… Of course it is." She ran her hand through her sweat drenched hair and placed her feet against the floor, hoping that the feeling of something solid against her feet would bring some ounce of comfort. It didn't.

She stretched away the stiffness in her joints and rubbed away the sleepiness from her eyes, and grabbing her blanket from her bed, wrapped it around her shoulders. She left the dorm, not even sparing a glance back into the dark room. She hated autumn for one reason, it started getting dark out earlier, and she disliked the dark. It wasn't that she was irrationally afraid of it as much as she was afraid of the things it brought to her mind. She liked the sun, the light, she loved the comfort it brought. And that was why she was glad to be in the hallway of the dorms. The light was always on as there was no curfew for students, and for that she was grateful.

A little on down the hall was a small lounge for students to spend time in or relax, in the mornings it was always filled with the smell of coffee and pancakes, or bacon, or eggs. A small kitchen was provided there for students who didn't want to eat what the school served. They never had any use for the kitchen, but Nora was happy for its existence that was for sure. A small smile appeared on Weiss' face at the thought of Nora enthusiastically chanting "pancakes, pancakes, pancakes," waiting somewhat impatiently for Ren or Jaune to put a stack on her plate. It was a common sight on weekends.

As soon as she took a step into the lounge the smell of coffee assaulted her nostrils. The familiar form of her golden-haired teammate shook her out of her small moment of reminiscence. At the sound of Weiss' feet making their way toward her, Yang snapped to attention and offered her a surprised look. "You're up early Snow Angel." Weiss didn't have the energy to be mad at her for using that nickname. "Want some?" She motioned to the coffee and Weiss simply nodded her head.

"Yes please." And with that she took a seat on one of the couches, and Yang poured her a mug of her own, pouring an accidentally large amount of sweetener in it and silently hoping Weiss didn't notice. She took the spot next to Weiss and turned on the TV that was hanging on the wall across from them, putting the volume on a low setting. The small amount of background noise from the infomercial providing a comfort in the small hours of the morning. Weiss took her mug from Yang, and upon testing to see if it was cool enough to drink by her standards, hummed in delight and took a small sip. She noticed the sweetener immediately. Yang could tell by the look on her face.

Yang silently cursed, but Weiss didn't mention anything and just stared blankly at the TV with little to no interest in the crazy savings she could get by ordering now, not even the special TV offer of two for the price of one. "Rough night?" Yang asked. Weiss took another sip and grunted in response. "I figured, since you're always the last to wake up. Usually it's Pyrrha and Jaune who I see shambling their way through the hall, but I guess since she started upping her training regimen with him the two of them have been too tired to join me. It's really too bad, it gets lonely in here."

Yang was always the first to get up, something Weiss attributed to her attitude towards life. Yang was a go getter, someone who really wanted to, in her own words, "punch life in the balls and make him my bitch." She took a sip.

"I can see how, it's really quiet in here. I'd have thought you'd hate the silence; I'd have thought it would drive you insane." Yang shook her head, leaning back in the couch and sinking into it lazily. Within seconds her feet were up on the coffee table in front of them. Normally Weiss would have got onto her like she was a child with bad manners for doing it, but again, she was far too tired.

"Nah, it's not enough to drive me crazy, just enough to make me feel bored and alone. I hate feeling alone. It's my biggest fear you know." That didn't necessarily feel like info you should just give out to everyone so casually, and yet… Was Yang really that comfortable with her? The thought of her being comfortable enough around her to say such a thing made her happy.

"I understand that, it's mine too. For a lot of different reasons." Yang knew better than to ask. It was the same thing with Weiss' trouble handling physical contact, with her fear and hate of sudden loud noises, her dislike of massive social situations… It was among the many things Weiss never talked about with anyone, and Yang didn't even need to ask to know that. The look on Weiss' face made it all too clear. And even just admitting it took guts.

"I'm proud of you, I know that took a lot of courage to admit." Weiss blushed and covered it up by taking another sip of her coffee. Forcing down the sweetness of the drink made her mind go elsewhere, and the blush faded away.

"It was nothing, you're my friend after all. A close friend too." She wished she didn't add that last part as soon as Yang's eyebrows lifted, changing her expression to one of surprise and curiosity.

"I am? I don't think I know too much about you to be completely honest, definitely not as much as I know Blake, and for sure not as much as I know Ruby. It's been a few months though, maybe that should change." Maybe it should, Weiss thought. For once she didn't hate being up, and she certainly didn't feel like heading back to sleep after that nightmare, whatever it was about.

"I was really lonely as a kid," Weiss started, making Yang sit up completely and focus on the sound of her voice. "The only person who was really there for me was Winter. That's my sister," she added, noting the confusion on Yang's face. "But sometimes you know, big sisters can't be there for their little sisters. Sometimes they're a bit too busy and they have to leave them for however long to do whatever needs to be done. And so mostly I was alone as a kid. I had no friends really, it really messed me up. And that's why being social really gets under my skin, I'm not used to it, I don't know people as well as all of you do." Yang looked down at the floor and held in a sigh.

"I can imagine what that might do to you. I'm sorry, I had no idea."

"There's no need to apologize, it's not like it's your fault. Anyway, have you ever wondered why I react so poorly to loud noises, and shrink away from human contact like it was dangerous? Because that's how it feels to me, dangerous." Weiss shook, and suddenly she realized that the amount of space between her and Yang was rather small… Too small for her comfort. She slowly shifted away from Yang with an apologetic expression on her face, and Yang, realizing what was happening instantly gave her some space. "S-sorry, an-anyway, I-"

"Weiss, stop. You don't need to continue right now, what you've given me is enough." Weiss flinched at Yang's tone. It wasn't harsh at all, but it was the words more than anything that got to her. "Look, we still have some time before people really start waking up, we can just talk about happy stuff until we need to get to class, alright?" Weiss nodded somberly, but a small, grateful grin lit up her face, and she knew then that Yang wasn't going to force it all to come out, if she really wanted to know, she would wait until Weiss was ready. "So how are you and Ruby going about studying? Blake is making sure I stay on top of everything, but I think she worries a bit too much. I mean, yeah I'm lazy when it comes to important stuff most of the time, but It's not like I don't do it. Eventually. At the last minute."

Weiss giggled, making Yang feel butterflies. Her giggle was really cute, she noted. "You could stand to be a bit more like your sister," Weiss replied. Yang blinked. "She actually studies really hard, and she's getting better at planning and coming up with strategies after asking Jaune for help in that field. Actually, I'm not really supposed to say anything but Oobleck pulled us aside a few days ago and congratulated me and Ruby for being some of the brightest huntresses in class, second and third only to Pyrrha."

Yang was floored by the knowledge that her little sis was doing so much better than her, and the familiar spark of fire and competition raged in her chest. She made a mental note to ask Blake for more help with studying, and went back to focusing on the conversation. Their cold coffee sat forgotten on the table, and neither seemed to notice the time passing by. Conversation topics flashed by like that, and the only thing that could ever stop them was the sound of Blake and Ruby stumbling into the lounge with JNPR behind them. For the first time in two hours, Yang broke away from talking with Weiss to greet everyone, who only halfheartedly waved and greeted them both back.

After everyone had a cup of coffee and they all had breakfast they broke off towards class. Though everyone else was dead tired, Weiss and Yang were still focused on goofing around and talking lightly about whatever sprung to mind. No one really noticed this though, aside from maybe Ruby and Blake. The two of them gave a questioning look to the other, and they each answered back with a shrug and a smile, glad that their partners were finally getting to know each other.

As they entered the classroom, Weiss took her usual seat next to Ruby and felt that the rest of the day would be fantastic. Perhaps waking up early isn't so bad after all, she thought.

* * *

The Following Day

Another nightmare, another early morning. Weiss groaned as she sat up and silently hoped that Yang would be up as well. It was a bit earlier than before, and the moon was still glowing faintly from its celestial throne. 4 o'clock would be far too early for anyone to be up, but one small look at Yang's bunk and she smiled. There was no one there.

She followed the old familiar path to the lounge but stopped before she fully stepped beyond the threshold. It was always lit up, but for some reason the room felt darker than it usually did. It felt more intense, gloomy, like a heavy feeling was surrounding her and waiting to claw its way deep into her chest cavity, and it was content to make it as bloody as possible.

It was the feeling she normally felt when she suffered a harder hit from her depression than usual, and she didn't have any friends to talk to, or nothing at all to do to take her mind off of her emotional baggage and all the things her mind makes worse than they actually are.

One look over at the window told her everything she would ever need to know. Yang was curled up, covered in a mass of blankets by one of the windows, staring out into the courtyard below as if she were looking for answers. And she might as well have been with how intently she was looking.

"Yang…?" The sound of Weiss' voice caused her to turn her head mechanically to the source, and she offered a small sigh, possibly out of annoyance, Weiss figured. She knew the feeling well, when she got like that, she didn't want to see another person until she felt better. And Yang looked like whatever was on her mind was affecting her hard. Weiss took small steps towards her, and when Yang didn't move away she was encouraged to move even closer.

She took a seat a small distance away, feeling that giving her space would be the best option. Yang looked back out the window. "When Ruby and I were little, we would always go play on the beach. I think Ruby was a bit too young to really remember this. But we did, and she would always get so close to the water that her mother, Summer, would freak out and run to catch up with her. But Ruby's semblance was activated early, and Summer could never catch her. She always ended up asking me and our dad Taiyang to help try and trap her in this small little triangle we would form around her.

"It barely ever worked. Mostly because I would take one look in Ruby's eyes, and she would give me this look. She was just really getting good at walking, at running… She loved to explore, to experience things. She was so curious, and she always got into trouble because of it. She didn't want to be so confined to her mother's sight all the time, she wanted to be free, to run and jump and play and _live._

"And I always faked that I accidentally messed up and let her escape. And then she would run by the ocean and pick up seashells, and sea stars, and I think once she even stepped on an urchin. She cried for hours, and we had to travel all the way to Vale in our dad's boat to get her help because the doctors on Patch weren't too well equiped back then. Summer worried to death. Summer really loved us to death… Even though she wasn't really my mom, I loved her too. Just as much as I love Ruby and dad."

Weiss sat silently, not even daring to open her mouth even though Yang was through talking. And so they just sat in silence until Yang started to talk once more. "Summer was a great mother. She is… Was everything I hope to be as a mother later on in life. She was caring, kind, smart, and she always made us laugh, and she always made us happy. She fed Ruby's cookie and strawberry addiction like you wouldn't believe, and she made sure I was always out of trouble, and she would take my side when I actually DID get in trouble. She knew we were just kids.

"But even still, for the small time Summer was there for us, alive, there were still the times where I sat in my room thinking about _my_ mom. Where did she go, why did she leave, did she even care about me at all? How would she feel towards Ruby? Stuff like that. Things got harder for me when Summer died. I think things would have been hard on Ruby too, but it happened when she was still so young. Mentally I was developed enough to understand what really happened. Summer was dead, she wasn't coming back to us, ever. I wouldn't see her smiling face, or hear her caring voice ever again. And I think dad was really going through the same realization, but there was denial on his part.

"There was no denial for me, I was too young for denial at the time, I was just hit with this cold, hard fact of life, and it was reality. That was the time I think I was less me than I ever have been. And since dad fell into this kind of deep depression, I knew I had to take up for Ruby as well. She couldn't cook, she couldn't clean, she didn't really know how anything worked yet. So I had to learn how to do it all. For her sake and mine. And I did. For years until dad finally felt well enough to move on. I don't blame him for it, I never did. I never could.

"After all Summer was the second love he had lost, the second best friend he had ever lost. And both of those loves he had children with, and he constantly had to stare us in the eyes and see our mothers in them. No matter how hard it was for me and Ruby, we could never blame him, nor hate him for anything. And it was around the same time that our uncle Qrow took up drinking, and that's really a story for another time, but he never honestly got better. Our mothers left a long time ago, mine for what seems like no good reason, and Summer because she gave her life for the greater good. And both of them left Ruby and I behind as their legacy.

"I suppose that's partly one of the reasons she and I became huntresses in the first place. Among other reasons of course. And one of my other reasons is that I'm hoping this thing, this job, this title, whatever you want to call it, will bring me a step closer to finding my mom. I know she's out there, and I just… Want some damn answers. I have a right to know! Why the hell did you leave, goddammit!" Yang placed her forehead on the window as she cried out angrily, and tears started silently flowing down her cheeks as she held back sobs and took deep breaths.

Yang froze at the feeling of skin on skin contact. Weiss had wrapped her arms around her. "Weiss…?"

"When I was a little girl," Weiss began, letting go of Yang and giving her back her personal space, "Winter and I would always hang out in our personal library. Our house, if you could even call it simply a house, was enormous. It was far too large for just the two of us, and I think that was what made me really antsy about large, open spaces. Our library was huge too, there were so many books. And Winter and I would spend our time way off in the back where we kept the children's books, and she would read to me the books that our mother had read her to sleep when she was how old I was at the time.

"And every time, she says, I would nod off on the floor with my chin resting on my hand. It was the only place we were truly allowed to be kids. Our father was so insistent that we always be on our best behavior, and mind our manners. Even when alone. But we _were_ kids, and kids need to relax. That was our special area. I remember we would run and play tag and other stuff like that. We would climb on the shelves and misplace books and have to find them before dad found out, our Faunus housekeepers always let us, it made their job harder but they knew how old we were. A little girl and her teenage sister who was just trying to make sure their father didn't corrupt her too much.

"And a few years later I started listening to my father more than I listened to Winter, and that I think was the worst mistake I ever made. But you know there's plenty room for more in my life. I'm hoping that becoming a huntress isn't one of them. You're here to find your mother, at least that's one reason, but I'm here to change my name, to make the Schnee's something great again. I'm going to make things right. That's why I'm here."

Yang looked over Weiss with a small smile. "Thanks for listening to my pointless rambling, and thanks for joining me. It was nice to learn something about you." Weiss smiled.

"It was nice learning something about you too."

* * *

One Week Later

"Bright and early," Yang had said, "you and I are going on a walk." Weiss hated mornings far less than she ever had, mostly due to the girl walking beside her. It was six in the morning and the sun was just coming up, Weiss loved the lighting during sunrise she had learned. It was a special kind of beautiful. She wished she could paint it.

She adjusted her scarf and continued matching Yang's relaxed stride. Weiss always had trouble keeping up with everyone due to her smaller legs but Yang was being considerate for once and for this reason Weiss was enjoying herself immensely. It was nice to be out of the lounge for once. Spending all your mornings in one small room talking away got tiring fast, and the silence of the morning finally had time to settle in Weiss' mind.

That had to be her favorite thing. How quiet it was. Even the high pitched ringing in her ears seemed to stop. She could hear everything clearly, even the breathing of the girl next to her. Rhythmic and peaceful as ever. "You never struck me as the kind of person who loved quiet moments," Weiss said suddenly, making Yang look at her in surprise.

"I guess some people are just full of surprises," Yang replied, winking at Weiss. "No, but really, I always used to take early morning walks around Patch. It was safe enough, and I was given free reign to do what I wanted when Ruby helped me make Ember Celica. That's when our dad really sort of believed I could take care of myself. That, or when I punched a dummy's head clean off… One of those two." Weiss giggled, making Yang's stomach twist itself into pretzels again.

"There's honestly so much about you I never would have guessed. You're an interesting person." Yang blushed, but Weiss was looking away. "You and Ruby are alike in some ways, most of them very small, but you're also so different. I suppose that's how things are for sisters. You share some things, but in the end you're very different people. Sometimes it seems like you might not get along, but then you do. Siblings are really just a bunch of miracles…" Yang nodded softly.

"You got that right. A bunch of miracles working in tandem to create one big miracle. But I don't know what I'd do without Ruby," Yang replied. "So… Your sister, Winter… What is she like?" Weiss looked over to Yang and blinked. How could she describe Winter, she thought. Winter was…

"She's brilliant, and loving. She kept me safe from a lot of my father's views at a young age, and really taught me the importance of making friends, and taking care of myself. Though I never honestly was good at doing either of those things. She's the most important person in my life, perhaps. I think you'd understand that."

"Of course I do. I'm probably the only one who would understand that, except maybe Ruby... And Jaune. He has seven sisters you know." Weiss seemed to grow reticent when he was brought up, but she felt sympathy for the guy if he truly did have _seven_ sisters. Sisters were near on impossible sometimes. And seven of them sounded like hell. She laughed at her own thought. Siblings really were a mixed bag, even if she called them a miracle a small moment ago.

"Poor guy," she said, and Yang agreed. "I was thinking, are you feeling any better since last week?" Yang grew quiet, and Weiss could tell the question made her a bit tense. "Nevermind, just forget I asked."

"No, it's okay, really it is. I just… I'm doing a bit better. Yeah." The silence was a bit hard to swallow after that, for Weiss. They just walked on a bit, before Yang had spoken up. "You're helping." The sour silence disappeared as soon as Yang had said those words. Weiss shivered as a breeze blew past them. "You've been helping for a while. Having you here with me every morning is… Nice. It's nice to finally have someone to talk to, someone who understands me. Thanks for being here, Weiss."

"You don't have to thank me. I'm just being a good friend." Yang seemed to frown at her words, but smiled brightly immediately after.

"I think we should probably head back now, the others should be waking up soon, and you know how Ruby gets nervous when we aren't there or in the lounge when she wakes up." Weiss nodded, and noticed how Yang walked just a bit closer to her on the way back.

* * *

Two Weeks Later

Weiss' breathing hitched, and she held it as her mind refused to accept what was happening as reality. Every single movement Yang made on the stage was stunning in its own right. Every punch was as raw and effective as it was beautiful, in the odd way that only Yang could make them. Her golden hair shone with the radiance of an angel's, and every hard, skull-busting impact of her fists to the opponent's face was like hard-hitting poetry.

In only moments, the opponent was defeated and Yang was crowned victor. Finally, she gasped out the air in her lungs and awareness returned to her in the form of a red blur surging past her to tackle the yellow goddess to the ground excitedly. Weiss looked to Blake, who's calm, but happy smile revealed that she too was happy about Yang's victory. She got up out of her seat calmly, and turned to address Blake.

"I'm going to get a head start to the dorm, there are a few things I would like to do before we head out into Vale." Blake nodded and said she would tell the others as Weiss began walking back, away from them all. She had been doing this a lot lately. One look at Yang and she would freeze, as if she had never recognized the beauty that this girl held. Like she had never before seen beauty in such a powerfully concentrated form.

Every bit of Yang was stunning. When she had first met her, Weiss thought only early teenage boys would fall for her looks, but now it seemed like she too was falling for it. All of it. How come she had never realized? Weiss had known that she was more attracted to those of the same gender rather than the opposite for a long time, but it had never really occurred to her to seek a partner in life. She didn't have time for such things, she had reasoned with herself, and with Winter. She had things to do, and a relationship would only hold her back from achieving those goals.

But now… Dear god, could she actually be developing a crush on Yang Xiao Long? She thought about how often they had been talking lately, how often they had spent time together alone, away from everyone, and she assumed that that was the cause of it all. She should have seen his coming a mile away, but she hadn't. But she couldn't exactly say that she… disliked the thought of liking Yang. She had such amazing qualities as a person. Her personality was fun, bright, and she always put others before herself. Something that Weiss wished she could do.

She stopped in her tracks as her face nearly met the door of her dorm, and that small moment where she realized she had been so wrapped up in thought about it was when she realized, she wasn't _developing_ a crush on Yang. _She already had one._

* * *

One Week Later

Weiss cursed internally as Yang smirked at her victory. "So there _is_ someone you have a crush on! Hah! I knew it!" Yang cheered loudly, threatening to wake up everyone who was still sleeping. Weiss blushed openly at Yang's happiness, partly because she knew that this moment would either end in embarrassment, or her confessing. Preferably she would just get away with saying the bare minimum. "So, who is it? What are they like?! Do I know them?!"

Weiss just nodded her head and gulped. After a few moments of silence, allowed to her by Yang to gather her thoughts, she cleared her throat. "Yes, you do know them." She noted the use of gender neutral pronouns in Yang's speech, which she was very thankful for. It meant that she wouldn't have go through the cliche, and ultimately embarrassing exchange of "she? You mean he, right…?" And of course, this allowed her mind to go to happy places, such as ' _that may mean Yang is into girls as well.'_

She didn't hold her breath for that last part.

"Is it my sister?" Yang asked quietly, leaning over and nudging Weiss in the arm. "It's Ruby isn't it, I always kind of thought you two would make a decent couple."

' _You and everybody else…'_ Weiss replied in her head. Yang seemed to believe she had achieved victory and guessed right, if the smug look on her face told Weiss anything. "Sorry but no. You're wrong."

"Blake?"

"Nuh uh."

"Jaune?" The look of disgust that appeared on Weiss' face told Yang everything she needed to know. She crossed her arms and leaned back, adopting a thoughtful expression. "I swear to you, Schnee, that I will find out." She leaned in and peered into Weiss' eyes, causing her to blush slightly as she stared back into Yang's "I have _ways_ of finding things out."

' _If those things have to do with tying me up… Feel free.'_ Weiss blushed even brighter, not knowing where that came from. Yang leaned back, noting the blush with a conflicted expression. Yang was not a daft person, Weiss knew. After talking for so long about various things she had come to realize the genius she held on very many subjects. If love and affection was one of those subjects than it wouldn't be very long indeed before she realized that she held feelings stronger than those of friendship for her.

"Weiss," Yang started, crossing her arms as the smirk that had previously been on her face turned straight. "I need to know something. What do you think of me? And I really want to know, don't hold back. Even if there are bad things I can handle it." Weiss' blush died down and she straightened into her normal 'proper' posture.

"What do you mean?" Weiss asked, clearly confused by the change of subject.

"I mean… Do you think I make the right decisions? Do you think I'm someone to look up to? Or am I not really the best of role models…"

"Yang, what's this about?" Weiss looked deep into her lilac eyes and she turned to look at something else.

"I just… Sometimes I feel like Ruby deserves a better big sister is all. I feel like I may have made a few choices in my life that I really don't want Ruby to follow as an example, and I'm worried that she might grow up to make those choices, or choices similar to them." Yang's voice lowered to a whisper.

"I wouldn't worry about it," replied Weiss gently. "I can tell it's making you worry, but Ruby is smart, and you're a wonderful role model in my opinion. Even if you get into some pretty… Explosive situations every now and then, I think you taught her well." Yang closed her eyes and seemed to think on Weiss' words for a moment. A smile lit up her previously straight countenance.

"If you think so, then that's enough for me." Weiss sent her a smile back, and let out a surprised cry as Yang pulled her into a hug. It was a nice hug, firm, affectionate, warm. It was the kind of hug you'd give a close friend. Maybe it was just her mind playing tricks on her, but it certainly felt like Yang was holding back. Though from what, she had no idea.

* * *

One Month Later

No one had seen it coming, it just happened. It was a lesson to them all perhaps to never let their guard down on the battlefield. That Ruby could get hit so many times in rapid succession and have her aura drained _like that_ was downright terrifying to everyone who had witnessed it, and it was a warning that the Grimm in the Forever Fall were becoming smarter, deadlier. It was a miracle that Ruby made it through with little more than a few broken bones and deep scratches.

Weiss felt a commitment to her team as Ruby's partner, and partly that was because Ruby had taken her out into Vale once and told her that 'unofficially she was the team's official second in command.' And what that meant was that she had to look over Blake and Yang (and also to a slightly lesser extent Ruby's homework), while Ruby was unable to leave the hospital room.

But really she knew she only needed to look over one person.

Yang let out another gasp as she quickly rose from her bunk, and, like all the other times, realized a little too late that she was too off from the center and fell to the hard, mocking floor. She quickly stood up and let out a quiet whimper of defeat.

"Same nightmare?" Weiss asked from her bed, looking at Yang with sympathy. Yang just gave her a solemn look in return telling Weiss with her eyes that she really wasn't in the mood for talking right now. Weiss gave her a look in reply that told Yang she didn't care, they were going to talk.

Yang sighed and nearly threw herself down on Weiss' bed beside her. "Yeah, same nightmare. I feel like I could have saved her from this, I feel like it's my fault she's in there. I'm her sister, it was my job to protect her and I was too busy looking after myself…" Weiss heard this all before, several times. It was always the same story, but Weiss always listened silently. If only to keep her at ease. "I know you all keep telling me that I'm worrying too much, but this is exactly the stuff I've been afraid of for so long. Ever since Ruby was old enough to look me in the eye and tell me 'sis, I want to be a Huntress,' I've worried.

"I've laid awake in bed so many nights wondering if I'd be able to protect her from the job she had chosen. She's just so selfless, so much so that that selflessness could mean the end of her. Imagine a fourteen year old girl lying awake at three in the morning thinking about her sister dying because she was just too good for this world. Could you imagine being in that girl's shoes, Weiss? Because that was me every night. I still do it sometimes. Even though now I know she's more than capable of protecting herself, even though I know that there's no one better suited to the role of protecting people…" Tears started running down Yang's cheeks, and Weiss swiftly hugged her close.

"I know that feeling, Yang. I do. When I was little, I used to always wonder my sister chose to leave to join the Atlesian military, but as I grew older I began to understand. At the time though, I was just this small little girl, lying awake in a bed that was much too big for her, in a room that was even bigger, crying because I was _sure_ that my sister would never come back. I was sure that she would get herself killed, and I told myself I'd never forgive her. Of course, I did, but that was when she came back serving as a specialist and was awarded several medals. For about two years I felt that pain. So believe me when I say I understand."

Yang remained quiet. Weiss continued. "I know that this seems like your fears are all coming true, but this situation was a mistake. You know that, they're even making an effort to make it better by sending in fully trained Huntsman and Huntresses to locations all around the areas surrounding Vale to monitor the Grimm's strength. It won't happen again."

"Even still," replied Yang, "what if Ruby had died?"

"But she didn't."

"But what if she had?!" Yang's eyes seemed to turn red as an explosion of tears ran down her face. "I can't stop thinking about it, and I know it's stupid and dumb and pointless but I can't stop! It's driving me crazy!" Weiss hugged her even tighter.

"It'll be okay, Yang. I know it."

"Well _how_ do you know?" Yang pleaded.

"Because like I said before, Ruby is strong, and you're just as strong!"

"You have a lot of faith in me…" Yang said quietly, her eyes turning back to lilac and body relaxing.

"Kind of hard not to have a lot of faith in the one you love," Weiss said softly. It took a few minutes for it to register in Yang's mind exactly what Weiss had said, but when it did Yang's reaction was nothing short of amazing to her.

"So is it really me? I thought that maybe it was, but I wasn't sure…" Weiss nodded her head slowly.

"Yeah, it's you. I thought you would figure it out eventually. I'm sure the others have already." Yang smiled.

"Thanks, Weiss, for believing in me so much."

"You don't have to say thanks for that," Weiss said, releasing Yang.

"But I felt like it." Yang's soft smile turned brighter. "But now I think we should talk about the other thing that just came up." Weiss blushed. "And how I feel like I should say thanks for that too. When we first started hanging out, I didn't think much could come from it. I'm glad I was wrong."

"Does that mean you feel the same way about me, then?" Weiss asked hopefully. She honestly would have been okay with a simple yes or no answer, but Yang thought bigger than that. So of course what she got was an even bigger hug than the one she was giving her just a moment before.

"Of course it does," Yang whispered happily. "I just wish you had told me sooner, then maybe I wouldn't have felt so alone."

"You're never alone. You have me, and Blake, and all of our other friends," Weiss whispered back.

"But I felt alone. Doesn't matter if I actually am or not."

"I'm sorry, I just wasn't sure if you felt the same. I was terrified of rejection. You know how that goes. The age old story of 'does she like me back,' and all that."

"Yeah, I understand. But you owe me two things for making me wait so long."

"Anything!" Weiss said.

"So that's a yes?"

"Absolutely! But what are they?"

"Well, the first one is a date. You need to take me on a date."

"Deal!" Weiss smiled widely, and then her smile turned into straight faced curiosity. "But what's the other thing?" She asked.

"This," replied Yang, pulling her into a kiss. It was a short kiss. But it was perfect to the both of them.

"I don't think I was satisfied with that one," Weiss said. "Maybe you should try again." Yang's eyes lit up again, but this time with competitive spirit rather than anger and sadness.

"Is that a challenge, Ice Queen?"

"I don't know," Weiss said cheekily, leaning in and pressing her nose against Yang's. "Is it?" Yes, Yang determined. It was a challenge. She jumped on Weiss, who squeaked as her lips were once again caught by her vicious and beautiful opponent.

' _At least she isn't thinking about Ruby anymore,'_ was the last thought Weiss had before her mind shut down to focus on the lips that were currently demanding her attention.


End file.
